The Decision Before the Decision
A quiet, private commitment made across three ordinary days — before anything is signed, before anyone is told, before it's visible from outside.
Case group
Makes the private, irrevocable commitment to begin
Closes her first paying customer
Names her real terms and waits
Still can't say what her business really is
Comes home to an order spike that exposes what's missing
Racine
Romane Tessier is building Racine, a producer house connecting southern European artisan growers to brands in the north. Each case is one decision she can’t take back
Finding the Ground
A compelling idea and a proven one aren't the same thing — and the only way to tell them apart is a conversation with someone who has no reason to agree.
Writing in Someone Else's Voice
The offer was generous by any reasonable measure. Romane said it was a strong proposal, which was true, and which told Margot almost nothing about what she was actually thinking. The moment felt wrong in a way she could not yet name.
What the Network Costs
Networks have costs that do not appear in any initial calculation. Every relationship Romane formalises in this case costs something. Not all of it is visible at the time. The Kostas conversation is the structural centre. What she went to him for was a contract. What she got was more than that.
What Holds When You're Not There
The real test of a business is what holds when the founder isn't there — and whether a run of success has made it durable, or only shown what's still missing.
Next case coming
For founders facing real decisions — and the investors who evaluate them.
How the cases and the plan work →